The present invention relates to an illumination system for an automobile or the like in which the direction of illumination of light from the headlamps of the vehicle is changed in conjunction with the steering of the vehicle.
Since in a conventional automotive illumination system the headlamps emit light only in the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle, the headlamps do not sufficiently illuminate the road in the path followed by the vehicle when traveling around a curve or corner. In order to solve such a problem, an illumination system in which the direction of illumination of light from the headlamps is changed in conjunction with the steering of the vehicle to emit sufficient light in the direction in which the vehicle is actually proceeding has recently been proposed. However, if the both the right and left headlamps are turned so as to change the direction of illumination in conjunction with the rightward or leftward steering of the vehicle, there arises a problem that the field of vision in the straight-ahead direction of the vehicle cannot be sufficiently illuminated. If the direction of illumination of light from only the headlamp provided at the side to which the vehicle is being steered is changed in conjunction with rightward or leftward steering, there is yet another problem that the illuminance in the actual direction in which the vehicle is proceeding is insufficient.